Just Love, the UK’s leading inclusive celebration cake maker, has seen 70% year-on-year (YOY) growth for its Vegan Confetti Traybake product over the last three months. This demonstrates the strong consumer demand for vegan, allergen-free ‘treat me’ products despite recent share declines in other vegan categories.
In March, Just Love made the decision to overhaul its original Vegan Vanilla Traybake, replacing it with a more fun version called, Confetti Traybake – featuring waved piped frosting and colourful confetti decoration.
The team attribute the continued growth and popularity of the overhauled product to its RRP of £6.00, comparable to non-vegan options – a key consideration for the Just Love team who want to ensure that options for those with dietary restrictions and requirements are still accessible and affordable to all.
Additionally, in 2023 Just Love launched new, eye-catching branding across its range to ensure the products stand out on shelves.
The strong YOY growth comes at a time when the sales of many vegan products in the UK have flatlined or fallen[1], with many citing overly processed ingredients and higher price range as the reason during the cost-of-living crisis.
However, while consumers have become more price conscious, many still look for those affordable celebratory, ‘treat me’ moments, such as cakes, which can be enjoyed by all. In addition, 2 million people in the UK are now cited as living with some form of food allergy[2], with 10% of UK consumers following a gluten-free diet[3] and a growing 2% being practising vegans[4].
Mike Woods, CEO and Founder of Just Love, comments: “The huge growth of our Confetti Traybake is a fantastic success for us. Making the decision to overhaul and upgrade a popular product from our range could have been seen as a risky move, but for us it’s certainly one which has paid off.
“Our mission is to raise awareness that there is an allergen-free, vegan option for them. By choosing to rebrand all our product packaging to more fun and honest designs based around joy, symbolised in an iconic rainbow logo, we hope we have been able to do just that.
“Providing one celebration cake for everyone to share can be a minefield. After initially spotting a gap in the market for allergen-free cakes, we’re thrilled to see Just Love grow in line with rising consumer demand and an increase in allergies, dietary needs and choices across the country. We strive on our mission to bring people together with cake.”
The Vegan Confetti Traybake is made up of a sponge base covered with vanilla-flavoured, hand piped frosting and decorated with edible confetti decorations. The cake serves nine and is available in retailers from RRP £6. The cake has no artificial colours or flavourings and is made in a nut-free, peanut-free, milk-free factory. Vanilla Confetti Traybake is registered with The Vegan Society.
[1] The Guardian, 20 May 2023, Has the vegan bubble burst? Sales stagnate in UK as brands withdraw plant-based products
[2] Natasha’s Law
[3] Coeliac UK, 2023
[4] YouGov, 2022
